1. Psychology: An Introduction
Benjamin Lahey 11th Edition
Slides by Kimberly Foreman
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2. Basic Principles of Learning
Chapter Seven:
Basic Principles of Learning
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3. Definition of Learning
any relatively permanent change in
behavior brought about through
experience
- change is not always immediately obvious
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4. Classical Conditioning
- stimulus:
- arbitrary
- response:
- elicited
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5. Classical Conditioning (cont.)
Association:
- key element in
classical
conditioning
- association of two
stimuli
- neutral stimulus
- timing
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6. Classical Conditioning (cont.)
Terminology of
classical conditioning:
- unconditioned
stimulus (UCS)
unconditioned
response (UCR)
conditioned stimulus
(CS)
conditioned response
(CR)
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7. Classical Conditioning (cont.)
Definition of classical conditioning:
form of learning in which a previously
neutral stimulus (CS) is followed by
a stimulus (UCS) that elicits an
unconditioned response (UCR)
does not depend on the behavior of the
individual being conditioned
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8. Classical Conditioning (cont.)
Importance of classical conditioning:
helpful in understanding puzzling aspects of
human behavior:
- Little Albert
- counterconditioning
- plays a role in our physical health
- sexual arousal
- phobias
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9. Operant Conditioning Operant conditioning: - positive reinforcement
- negative reinforcement
- punishment
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10. Positive Reinforcement
Issues in the use of
positive reinforcement:
- timing:
- delay of reinforcement
consistency in the
delivery of
reinforcement
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11. Positive Reinforcement (cont.)
Issues in the use of positive reinforcement (cont.):
- primary reinforcers
- secondary reinforcers
- schedules of reinforcement:
- fixed ratio
- variable ratio
- fixed interval
- variable interval
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12. Schedules of Reinforcement
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13. Positive Reinforcement
Shaping:
- method of
successive
approximations
- Skinner box
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14. Negative Reinforcement
- removal or avoidance of a negative event
- escape conditioning
- avoidance conditioning
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15. Punishment Punishment: a negative consequence that leads to
a reduction in the frequency of
the behavior that produced it
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16. Punishment (cont.) Dangers of punishment:
- reinforcing to the punisher
- generalized inhibiting effect
- learning to dislike and act aggressively
toward the punisher
- criticism trap
- does not teach appropriate behavior
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17. Punishment (cont.) Guidelines for the use of punishment:
- do not use physical punishment
- punish the inappropriate behavior immediately
- positively reinforce appropriate behavior to take the place of the inappropriate
behavior
- punish specific behaviors
- do not mix punishment with rewards for the
same behavior
- do not back down
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18. Contrasting Classical and Operant Conditioning
Classical conditioning:
association between
two stimuli
involves reflexive,
involuntary
behaviors
UCS is paired with the
CS independent of
individual’s
behavior
Operant conditioning
association between a
response and the
resulting
consequence
complicated voluntary behaviors
reinforcing
occurs only if the
response being
conditioned has just
been elicited
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19. Stimulus Discrimination and Generalization
between appropriate
and inappropriate
occasions for a
response
Stimulus generalization:
one does not always
discriminate between
stimuli that are similar
to one another
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20. Extinction: Learning When to Quit
Removing the source of learning:
- partial reinforcement effect:
schedule of reinforcement and type of
reinforcement greatly influence the speed
of extinction
- response prevention:
avoidance responses are prevented to be sure
the individual sees that the negative
consequences do not occur
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21. Extinction: Learning When to Quit (cont.)
Spontaneous Recovery:
- if there is a long period of
time between
presentations of the
CS, the fear can
reappear the next
time the CS is
presented
Disinhibition:
- if an intense but unrelated
stimulus event occurs, it
may cause the strength
of the extinguished
response to return
temporarily
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22. Theoretical Interpretations of Learning
Cognition or connection?
- place learning:
- cognitive map
- latent learning
insight learning and
learning sets:
- insight
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23. Theoretical Interpretations of Learning (cont.)
Modeling:
- eliciting desired behavior by showing how
it is done
- Albert Bandura:
- modeling:
- Bobo doll
- vicarious reinforcement
- vicarious punishment
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24. Theoretical Interpretations of Learning (cont.)
Biological factors in learning:
- Cook and Mineka:
lab monkeys fearful of snakes after watching
video
- John Garcia:
- learned taste aversion:
- chemotherapy side effect
wildlife preservation:
- sheep and coyotes
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